Date: 4.01.2008
Updated: 4.01.2008 11:14

By: TTR Press Office

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Davos, Switzerland: Backside Air, after Backside Air, after Backside Air, the Quarterpipe qualifications for the Swatch TTR SIX(6)STAR O’Neill Evolution went down on another brisk night in Davos, Switzerland. On a massive Quarterpipe, the qualification riders entered themselves into a backside air session with the occasional Backside 5 or Rodeo finding it’s way into the mix. Despite the lack of variety, 16 riders broke away from the pack and proved their worth to ride with the big dogs in Saturday’s 32-man Quarterpipe semi-finals.

On his second run in Heat 1, Colin Frei (SUI) busted out a smooth backside 540 to earn him the top spot in his heat. The second heat saw 15-year-old, Canadian Rider Seb Toots (CAN) land the highest Backside Air of the night at 7.4 m on his fourth run, and also take the top spot in his heat. Taking the third top position in Heat 3, Norwegian rider Tore Holvik (NOR) impressed the judges with a clean Backside Indy on his third run.

The qualifying riders will have to bring out some new tricks for Saturday if the hope to make it through the semis and into the finals, earning themselves a piece of the $100 000 USD prize purse and some much needed TTR Ranking Points.

Top 16 Qualifying Quarterpipe Riders:

Quarterpipe Qualification Heat 1:

1.    Colin Frei         SUI    K2
2.    Stefano Munari     ITA    O’Neill
3.    Olivier Gittler        FRA    Burton
4.    Daniel Avdaloff    CHI    Burton
5.    Rene Broder        SUI    K2

Quarterpipe Qualification Heat 2:

1.    Seb Toots         CAN    O’Neill
2.    Arthur Longo         FRA    APO
3.    Kim Rune Hansen     NOR    Burton
4.    Markus Malin         FIN    Salomon
5.    Peetu Piiroinen     FIN    Burton
6.    Steve Krijbolder     NED    O’Neill

Quarterpipe Qualification Heat 3:

1.    Tore Holvik         NOR    Bateleon
2.    Manuel Pietropoli     ITA    Burton
3.    Gary Zebrowski     FRA    Nitro
4.    Benoit Thomas-Javid     FRA    Rome
5.    Valerian Ducourtil     FRA    APO

The Halfpipe qualifying session on Wednesday night however, featured a lot more variety with strong amplitude and smooth combos from the top 16 riders who qualified into Friday’s Halfpipe semi-finals at the O’Neill Evolution. Every rider was loving the pipe conditions and construction, which was built 20 m longer than last year, allowing five comfortable hits in everyone’s line.

1st place rider in Heat 1, the local Mario Kappeli (SUI) took advantage of the pipe length, making a total of six hits with a Frontside Air, to Backside 540, to Frontside 900, to Backside Air, and rounding out his run with an Alley-oop McTwist. Heat 2 saw Finnish rider Peetu Piiroinen (FIN) complete a highly technical run with a Backside 540, to a Frontside 720, to Cab 720, to a Frontside Nose, to a Backside 900 and adding a nice handplant to the end. Gary Zebrowski who took 1st in Heat 3 spiced things up in his second run with a Frontside Air, to Backside Air, to Cab 1080, to Cab 720.

The qualifying pipe riders are certainly going to give the 16 seeded riders a run for their money. Invited swiss rider Iouri Podladtchikov (SUI) mentioned Peetu Piiroinen as “one to watch out for as he could probably win the superpipe event. I don’t even think he needs to qualify!”

Friday’s semi-finals will for sure be jam-packed with technical combos as every rider fights for one of 16 spots in the finals. More TTR Ranking Points are up for grabs in the first finals of the two-format competition.

Top 16 Qualifying Halfpipe Riders:

Halfpipe Qualifying Heat 1:

1.    Mario Kappeli     SUI     Ride
2.    Ben Stewart         NZE     Nitro
3.    Dan Wakeham     GBR     Nike
4.    Kosuke Hosokawa     JPN     Kissmark
5.    Daniel Friberg     SUI     Burton
6.    Therry Brunner     SUI     Nitro

Halfpipe Qualifying Heat 2:

1.    Peetu Piiroinen     FIN     Burton
2.    Olivier Gittler         FRA     Burton
3.    Stefano Munari     ITA     O’Neill
4.    Gian Simmen         SUI     O’Neill
5.    Pekka Ruokanen     FIN     Flow

Halfpipe Qualifying Heat 3:

1.    Gary Zebrowski     FRA     Nitro
2.    Manuel Pietropoli     ITA     Burton
3.    Tore Holvik         NOR     Bateleon
4.    Sergio Berger         SUI     Quiksilver
5.    Stale Sandbech     NOR     Oakley

LIVE WEBCAST INFO:



If you’re not in Davos on Friday or Saturday, don’t forget to log into http://www.oneilleurope.com/evolution/ or www.freecaster.tv for live coverage with full commentary of both the semi-finals and the finals of the Swatch TTR SIX(6)STAR O’Neill Evolution (Friday 17.00 CET & Saturday 18.00 CET). Also check out the TTR video player for the live broadcast and unique and behind-the-scenes content of all the action.